Best Travel Money Cards in 2023

Best Features

• 13 currencies available, including Vietnamese Dong and Chinese Yuan
• No issue fee, load fees, closure and card replacement fees
• Additional card offered
• Locked in exchange rates: 4%+ margin on exchange rates
• Can be accessed through Commonwealth Bank app

Commonwealth Bank Travel Money Card

• Can be used wherever Visa is accepted
• $3.50 fee at ATMs overseas
• 13 currencies offered USD, GBP, EUR, THB, NZD, SGD, HKD, CAD, JPY, AED, AUD, VND & CNY
• Minload of $1 and max of $100,000
• Available to 14 year olds, has a lower age restriction than most credit cards (18 year olds)
• When you use your card for a purchase or withdrawal in a currency that is not loaded, or when they automatically transfer funds between the currencies on your card to enable the completion of the transaction at the Visa retail exchange rate plus 4%
• To transfer money between currencies or a transaction account, it will be at the bank rate which is normally 4% above the market value

The Commonwealth Bank travel money card is great if you are already a Commonwealth bank customer who banks online and knows exactly how much money in each country you want to spend. However if you need to transfer between currencies or make a purchase in a currency you don't have funds loaded, then you can get an additional expensive charge. Watch how many withdrawals at ATMs you make as well to keep the costs down.

Best Features

• Exchange rates most competitive for USD, GBP and THB
• No fee on initial card or load (not BPay)
• No fee on reloads via bank transfers
• No monthly or inactivity fees
• Card is valid for 5 years

Travel Money Oz Currency Pass

• 1.1% reloading fee via Travel Money Oz Login or with debit or credit card
• 1% reloading fee for BPay
• $10 closure fee and replacement card fee
• 2.95% on withdrawals from Australian ATMs is expensive
• Roughly $3.50 on withdrawals from overseas ATMs is expensive.
• $3.99 + 5.95% fee on cross currency transactions
• 10 Currencies can be loaded are USD, EUR, GBP, NZD, CAD, HKD, JPY, SGD, THB & AUD
• Can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted
• Exchange rates for SGD and CAD are the least competitive
• Minload of $20 and max of $10,000
• Only 1 card per account
• According to the website they won't take online orders if you are departing within 14 days as the card can take up to 2 weeks for delivery.

The Travel Money Oz travel money card seems to be an outdated version of the Travelex or Australia Post travel card as it does not offer Global Emergency Assistance or Boingo hotspots. However exchange rates and fees are similar to Travelex, so if you are travelling to the US, UK or Thailand, this is a great card to pay for accommodation and things in shops. We would avoid using it at any ATM, to save costs.

Best Features

• No ATM fees in Australia or internationally
• No international transaction fees
• No initial card fee
• No minimum monthly deposit
• No account keeping fees
• Can be used in Australia as an EFTPOS card
• Available to 14 year olds and older

Macquarie Travel Card

• $2,000 daily limit for ATM withdrawals
• Simple and easy to work out costs for account
• Exchange rates are MasterCard exchange rates, which are normally 4%+ market rate.
• 90-day theft and damage protection on eligible purchases and stolen wallet protection up to $500
• Can be used in Australia to buy goods overseas and not pay international transaction fees
• Get discounts of up to 10% on eGift cards to use at over 50 leading retailers
• Can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted

The Macquarie Travel Card is a very good option to take overseas for ATM withdrawals as they are all free. In addition in Australia you can buy goods online and not pay an international transaction fee. Furthermore you can use the card like a normal debit card in Australia with no hefty fees or monthly minimum deposits. However the exchange rate is the MasterCard rate which is normally 4%+ above the market rate. Finally we would recommend this card for cash withdrawals at ATMs internationally but not paying for accommodation due to the added margin on the MasterCard exchange rate.

Best Features

• No ATM fees in Australia or internationally
• No international transaction fees
• No initial card fee
• Cheapest way to send money overseas through a bank
• UI and UX better than traditional banks making it super easy to use
• Competitive savings interest rate

Up Bank Travel Card

• Backed by Bendigo Bank and Adelaide Bank and partnered with Wise so it has financial backing and access to the cheapest exchange rates to send money overseas
• Nifty online tools to help you track spending, budget and save. These include a detailed transaction history often including a company logo, when you paid down to the minute and the suburb where the transaction was made. In addition it has a ‘Regulars feature that detects regular billers and estimate of upcoming bills so you get a heads-up before they are due
• Exchange rates are MasterCard exchange rates, which are normally 4%+ market rate.
• Good savings account interest rates of 1.85% (0.10% base rate plus 1.75% bonus). Bonus interest is easily unlocked after making five successful card or digital wallet purchases each month
• Can be used wherever MasterCard is accepted

The Up Bank Travel Card is aimed at younger markets who are looking to save on bank costs and receive online tools to help them budget and save for their goals. It is also able to be used overseas at any ATM without fees, no international fees and is the cheapest way to send money overseas through a bank due to their partnership with Wise (the largest money transfer company in the world). In addition the exchange rates are Mastercard rates which are normally 4% above interest rates. Finally, while this card is very useful domestically and for ATMs overseas we would not recommend it for big ticket items overseas as it is an expensive card to use.

Best Features

• No foreign transaction fees
• No fee on initial card, load, unload or inactivity fees
• No cross currency transactions fees
• Lock in exchange rates before you leave
• Exchange rates most competitive for USD, GBP, EUR and CAD and JPY
• No ATM fee at 50,000 Global Alliance ATMs worldwide
• Free additional card
• Flight delay pass

Westpac Travel Money Card

• 11 Currencies can be loaded are USD, EUR, GBP, NZD, CAD, HKD, JPY, SGD, THB, AUD & ZAR
• $2,000 maximum limit on ATM withdrawals overseas within 24 hours
• $50,000 maximum limit on currencies loaded on to travel card
• $3 roughly for ATMs that are not within the Non Westpac Global Alliance
• If you run out of one currency on the card, you can pay with other currencies without the expensive cross currency transaction fee
• No foreign transaction fees, initial card, load, unload or inactivity fees
• Can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted
• According to the Westpac it can take upto 8 business days to receive the travel card
• Secure from fraudulent transactions with Mastercard Zero Liability protection
• 2 cards per account for free

The Westpac Travel Card is a no frills handy travel card with very low fees, no foreign transaction fees, access to some free ATMs worldwide and competitive exchange rates, especially on USD, EUR, GBP, CAD and JPY. In addition it has the South African Rand (ZAR) which is not common in prepaid travel cards. Finally it has access to a flight delay pass in case your flights are delayed and you need to access airport lounges.

Best Features

• No international transaction fees
• No initial card fee
• Linked to ANZ Rewards program
• 7 types of insurance for free
• 55 days interest free
• Good security on card purchases

ANZ Travel Adventure Card

• 20.24% interest on purchases and cash advances
• $120 annual fee
• No international transaction fees in person or online
• Offer 7 types of insurance for free
• ANZ Reward points can be used to buy gift cards, swap for Virgin or Singapore airline points or cash into your account.
• Earn 1.5 Reward points per $1 spent on eligible purchases up to $2,000 per statement period
• ATM fees at non ANZ ATMs
• Minimum credit of $6,000

If you utilize rewards points then the ANZ Travel Adventure Card might be suitable for you. Reward points can be used to buy a wide range of gift cards, swap for Virgin or Singapore airline points or cash into your account. In addition no international transaction fees are charged for purchases online or whilst you travel overseas. Finally this card is not recommended for cash withdrawals as the interest rate of 20.24% will eat up any savings.

Best Features

• No ATM fees
• No international transaction fees
• No initial card fee
• No account keeping fees
• Can be used in Australia with no additional costs
• No fees for paying via bank transfer or Bpay
• Transfer limits can be set by user

ING Orange Everyday Account Debit Card

• Simple and easy to work out costs for account
• As long as you you deposit at least $1000 and make at least 5 payments each month ING will waive international transaction fees and refund overseas ATM withdrawal fees
• Can be used in all countries
• Can be used in Australia to buy goods overseas and not pay international transaction fees
• Works with Apple Pay and Google Pay
• Can be used wherever Visa is accepted
• Visa currency conversion rates apply, which are normally 4% above market

The ING Orange Everyday Account Debit Card is a good card for most Australians travelling overseas for ATM access, with no fees. It also allows you to to buy goods online without an international transaction fee.

Furthermore you can use it in Australia for free and there are no fees to get your initial card, for account keeping or to top up your card. A word of caution however, if you travel overseas for longer than 1 month, you still need to deposit at least $1,000 and make at least 5 payments each month to get the rebates.

Best Features

• Initial card and replacement cards are free
• No fee on reloads via bank transfers
• No monthly or inactivity fees
• Increased protection with Mastercard Zero Liability
• Access to cash from your account through the Global Emergency Assistance, if your card is lost or stolen

Australia Post Travel Money Card - Platinum Mastercard

• 1.1% Admin fee for instore loads, including initial load
• $5 fee for reloads via debit bank card
• $10 closure fee
• 2.95% on withdrawals from Australian ATMs is expensive
• $3.50 on withdrawals from overseas ATM is expensive
• $3.99 + 5.95% fee on cross currency transactions
• Currencies that can be loaded are USD, EUR, GBP, NZD, THB, CAD, HKD, JPY, SGD, AED and AUD
• Can be used wherever Mastercard is accepted
• Minload of $100 and max of $100,000
• If your card is lost or stolen you can access cash that is in your account through Moneygram or Western Union agents, with no charge
• Boingo hotspots offer the free wifi and you can look at their number of free hotspots per country on this map

The Australia Post travel money card is a popular option for Australian travellers due to the convenience of stores. However we would recommend the Australia Post travel money card for paying in shops or accommodation as it is costly to withdraw cash from ATMS. As the Australia Post travel money card is fee heavy we recommend not making withdrawals at ATMs or making cross currency transactions to keep additional fees down.

Best Features

• Initial card and replacement cards are free
• Up to 11 currencies available
• No monthly or inactivity fees
• Manage your account and card online
• 24/7 global assistance
• Access to emergency cash
• Free additional card when ordered at time of purchase
• Can be used at millions of locations worldwide – wherever Mastercard purchase symbol is displayed

Greater Bank Cash Passport Platinum Mastercard

• $5 fee for reloads via debit bank card, FREE reloads via BPAY
• Admin fee of up to the greater of 1.1% of the load/reload amount or $15 for in-store purchases
• Debit card load fee 0.5% of the amount loaded, per Debit Card Load transaction
• Domestic ATM fee 2.95% of value Withdrawn
• International ATM fee USD 2.50, EUR2.50, GBP 2.00,NZD 3.50, THB80.00, CAD 3.50,HKD 18.00, JPY260.00, SGD3.50, AED 10.00, AUD 3.50
• Minimum load of AUD100 and a Maximum of AUD100,000

The Cash Passport is one of the most popular travel cards in the Australian market. With Greater Bank, you can purchase it online and at one of their branches, then download the app or use the website to manage your card. While the card may be useful for international purchases, be mindful when using an ATM both locally or overseas as the fees can add up if you are withdrawing money often.

Learn more about the Cash Passport Platinum Mastercard through Greater Bank.